Reconstruction Era

To Rebuild a Nation

Reconstruction Era

To Rebuild a Nation

Andrew Johnson

Johnson becomes president after Abraham Lincoln is assassinated. He was the first president to be impeached.He was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act.The act was supposed to protect Sec. of War Edwin Stanton. Johnson fired Stanton to protest the act. Lincoln chose Johnson as Vice President to help with the reconstruction of the Nation after the war. After he was impeached he did not run for a second term.

Thaddeus Stevens

He was a Radical Republican leader and one of the most powerful members in the U.S. House of Representatives. He focused much of his political attention on civil rights, eventually helping to draft the 14th Amendment. He dominated the House during Reconstruction and proposed the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. Stevens died in Washington, D.C. on August 11, 18

14 Amendment

This amendment gave many of the newly freed male slaves the right to become a citizen and gain citizenship. It also gave them the equal protecting under the law. However this did not truly give the blacks there freedom. They would still be segregated in schools and many other thing for many more years.

15 Amendment

This amendment gave the black the ability to vote. But again this amendment would not be truly realized for many more years to come. States had come up with ways to keep the former slaves from voting. They set things up like poll tax and things like the grandfather clause in their way.